|
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Tangara Roja,
|
 |
|
Breeding plumage male - Photo: G. Beaton
|
|
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Tangara Roja,
|
|
|
Breeding plumage male - Photo: G. Beaton
|
|
In breeding plumage, the male is bright red with a horn-colored bill. The female and non-breeding male are dull brown or orange-yellow, unlike the greenish female Scarlet Tanager. Length: 17 cm.; weight: 30 g. Audio 2 (M. Oberle). A forest bird that feeds in the upper story on insects (including bees and wasps) and fruits such as Cecropia, bananas, and oranges. Breeds in southern North America, from California to Pennsylvania, and in northern Mexico. Normally winters in Central America, south to northern Bolivia and western Brazil, with a few individuals wintering in Cuba and Hispaniola. Accidental in Puerto Rico (e.g. Ciales, 14 October 1999), but may be detected in forests of central mountains more often as this area is studied more. TAXONOMY: PASSERIFORMES; THRAUPIDAE. |
|
 |
|
Transitional plumage male - Photo: G. Beaton
|
|
References Arendt, W.J. 1992. Status of North American migrant landbirds in the Caribbean region: a summary. Pp. 143-171 in Ecology and conservation of neotropical migrant landbirds (J.M. Hagan III and D.W. Johnston, eds.) Smithsonian Instit. Press, Washington, D.C. Bent, A.C. 1958. Life histories of North American blackbirds, orioles, tanagers, and allies. Smithsonian Instit. U.S. National Museum Bull. 211. (Reprinted by Dover Press, NY, 1965). Ehrlich, P.R., D.S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birderÆs handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster/ Fireside, NY. Isler M.L. and P.R. Isler. 1987. The Tanagers: natural history, distribution, and identification. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. Klicka, J., K.P. Johnson, and S.M. Lanyon. 2000. Nine-primaried oscine relationships. Auk 117(2):321-336. Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton. Robinson, W. D. 1996. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra). No. 248 in The birds of North America (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, PA, and Am. Ornithol. Union, Washington, D.C. Next related species in taxonomic order Previous related species in taxonomic order |
|